Shorts



Sept. 15, 1953 3 DANN 2,652,053

SHORTS Filed Jpne e, 1950 IN VEN TOR. ERNE-ST G. DANN Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHORTS Ernest Dann, New York, -N. Y.

Apflication J une 6, 1950, Serial N0. 166,316

Claims. 1 4

This invention is prima1ily conc'erned With shorts or briefs for men. The impr0vement lies in an improved combinatidn of materials 'thd: provides better support for the organs of a man and improved wearing qua)1ities.

In continuous wea1 Shorts are inc1ined t0 stretch because the knit'ted material of Whi'ch they are made and the e194s'tic bands around th'e legs and trunks are continuously undet tension. When these shorts er briefs become stretched I;hey bang loosely from the body and are unsatisfactory to ehe wearer in that they tend 120 slip 01T and 010 not provide Ehe necessary support. The improvemen't here lies in an improved form of Shorts, combining a woven material in a freut fiy-forrning pane1 of the shorts and a knitted material in ehe rear panel. II; has been found that a knitted garment having a front panel of woven go.ods is considerably more comfurtable than I:he garment cf all knitted material. The woven material gives a smoother and more uniform supporting and wearing surface. II; fee1s more comfortable because of its more continuous surface and the supporting and 1oad carrying action is betten In knitted goods all the Support comes from the vertical Wales whichare nonelastic so that I;he 'supporting action is really that of a plurality of vertical tension 1in es.. In woven goods this action is distributed unif0'rml3' in both directions and i's there,fore more comfortable.

An object of shis i-nvention is; to produce an improvecl nether garment for man in the form of briefs or shorts combining a front pane1 of woven material and a rear panel of knitted material.

A still further object of this invention is t0 provide improved support for the organs of a man during the motion of the body but otherwise close conformity on ehe remainder of the garment. A still further object of this invention is to improve the 1ife and wear 013 shorts by employing a panel of non-stretching material from the waistband to the crotch for Support 0f the organs which pane1 will outwear knitted materia1 severa1 times over.

T0 the accomplishment cf the foregoin and related end, said invention then consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particular1y pointed out in ehe c1aims the following description sets forth in detail an improved pair of shorts in but one of various ways in which the principle of ehe invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of shorts;

Fig. 2 15 a side view of a pai'r of shortzs; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the woven pane1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

My invention consists of a pair of shorts generally known as briefs or trunks frequently made of ela'stic material or knitt'ed in v'ari0'us combinations, provide fu11 suppor't 'fo'r the organs of the body. These Shorts are h'eld firm1y in place by elastic member5 e'nt'ire1y 01' partially surrounding the waist 01 leg iner'nbers. My inven- I:'ion consists in makin'g a close-fitti'ng p'ai-r of shorts having a fron't .panel II] 0-f woven materia1 of cotton rayon, nylon or suitab1e material in one of severa1 weaves. 'Ihis woven material has the charadtkarist'ic. of on1y moderate stre'tch through long wear and washings. 011 the s'ides and back of Ehe shorfts is a pane'l of knitted material II, connected. 110 the woven material on a seam I2. P'artially or comple'tely surrountling the waist I3 is an e1astia band I4 to provide holding support for the cloth and. the parts of the body. The woven panel anal the knitted panel join 0n the unders'ide a1; about the center o1" the crotch ab a 1ine indicated at I5.v

The woven panel II] is made up of two separate pieces in the particular embodiment I have shown. One member I6 1s of generallyL shape shown preferably in Fig. 3 and consists of a lower portion truncated to anarcuate seam around the lower edge I'I by this I mean that itis tapered in the crotch and. 1:0 a point not further than the approximate center Iihereof. as 1s shown in Fi-g. 2. The other panel I8 is of generally rectangular form and is sewn 130 I;he member I6. An intermediate opening is shown at I9 as is customary in these garments. The larger panel section I6 is gathered at its sides 2I and 22 by an e1astic memher in each leg to provide a sack-like body shown in Fig. 2 at 23. Elastic members are not necessarily used in these legs but they may be. This provides a pendant support from the waistband I3 for the organs and has the s1ight stretching qualities cf the woven material which holds them loosely but properly in position. In garments using woven goods it is also possible and desirable to eliminate the elastic band auross the front or stomach covering portion of Ishe waistband, making for greater comfort anal a smoother fit. In this line the woven panel is simply carried straight up the top and attached 110 the ends 015 the elastic waistband at the edges 016 the knitted material.

The rear panel of the above garment is made of a knitted material having capacity to stretch in each of two directions, both the vertical and.

the horizontal. This permits the garment to conform to the shape of the body and to be held firmly in place against the body without flapping while in use. The knitted material acts to keep the woven material in position, particularly alon the gathered seams 21 and 22 on each leg opening. Thus it is seen that the knitted material I l in the garment and the elastic members in the leg openings Will retain the front panel or woven material in position but without stretching this panel either vertically 01' transversely. In operation the woven panel is supported from the waistbands and. parts of the body in contact with lt are held in position from the waist.

After considerable use the knitted Portion of the garment may lose its resiliency and stretch permanently to some degree but the elastic membe1s in the legs or their natural tightness if lt is other material Will still provide a permanent shape fr the garment.and the woven panel is substantially unchanged by this stretching operation. Before this invention a palr of b1iefs would stretch in the old form of knitted front panel, and after some time would. not provide the support required. When this happened they were useless long before the material was worn out and the elastic bands had deteriorated.

Thus 113 is seen that my improved shorts provide the necessary support for a man and will not stretch greatly while in use or through Washing and Will perform their function for a much longer period of time. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment, therefore, is to be considered in all respects as illustrative of the invention and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes Which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are ther afore intended to be embraced therein.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

l. A pair of shorts for men, having a front panel of woven material and a rear panel of knitted material said woven panel being formed in the shape -of a sack whereby the woven material suppo1ts the organs and is substantially unstretched by wearing, and the knitted material is capable of conforming 130 the shape of the wearer.

2. In a pair of trunks for men, the combination of a front panel of woven material and a rear panel of knitted material capable of stretch- 4 ing and conforming to the user, said front panel having a lower portion to the center of the crotch which portion 15 gathered ab the sides to stretch in the shape of a sack.

3. In a pair of trunks for men, the combination 0f a front panel of woven material, a rear panel of knitted material and an elastic band on the top encompassing the garment; said woven panel tapered ab the lower end to a point not further than the approxi mate center of the crotch, whereby said front panel will support the body and not stretch through wear though permitting the garment conform to the shape of the user.

4. In a pair of trunks for men, the combination of a front panel of woven material, a rear panel of knitted material and an elastic supporting banden the l30p and both legs of the trunks, said front pan'el being tapered to the aDproximate center of the crotch, whereby the garment generally conforms the shape of the user, but permits the Organs to be pendantly supported from the top elastic member and retained in position by the elastic members on the legs of the trunks.

5. In an undergarment, the combination of a. fly front panel of woven material and a rear panel of knitted material contactin said front panel on a vertica1 line and an elastic Supporting band attached to the top of said rear panel and also contacting said front panel on a vertical line, said undergarment having a crotch and 18g openings with elastic members, the rear panel of knitted material and the elastic members in the leg openings retaining the front panel of woven material in position, the rear knitted panel closely conforming to the buttocks of the wearer by the stretehing of the knitted fabric in Order that the garment may be comfortable but still permit the Woven fabric in the front panel to support the Organs of the body pendantly, retaining them in position by the resiliency in the knitted fabric attached 110 said woven material.

ERNES'I G. DANN.

References Cited in the file o1 this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Numbe1 Name Date 1,989040 Gingrich Jan. 22, 19 5 2062161 Chatfield Nov. 24, 1936 2288553 Slezak June 30, 1942 2,321123 Bogart June 8, 1943 2408723 Arpin Oet. 8, 1946 2,471,348 Redmond May 24, 1949 

